This is an ancient Cornish name which is closely allied to the Welsh surname 'Price', formerly 'Ap Rhye', the son of Rhys. There a several alternative spellings including Prisk, Priske, Preske, Prusk, Pruskey and Pirske, but all have the same origins. The name development includes Frances Priske who married John Nicholas at Breage Church, Cornwall on July 27th, 1640. Daniel Prisk who married Elizabeth Palmer at Helston on October 19th 1652 in the 'reign' of Oliver Cromwell and Charity Prisk baptised at Constantine on September 28th 1788. The personal name 'Rhys' means 'The one full of ardour'. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Franncise Priske, which was dated 1582, christened at Poughill, Cornwall, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Good Queen Bess 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.